The most expensive blue diamond Oppenheimer sold at auction

Yesterday, may 18, the world’s largest diamond “Blue Oppenheimer” (Oppenheimer Blue) weight 14.62 carats sold for a record amount at 57.5 million dollars at Christie’s auction in Geneva, reported on the website of the trading house.

“This is the most expensive sold at auction the diamond in history”, – stated in the message Christie’s on Twitter.

Note that the previous record belonged to the brilliant Blue Moon of Josephine. It sold for $ 48.6 million. at Sotheby’s auction in November 2015.

Estimated value of Oppenheimer Blue ranged from $ 38 million. up to 45 million dollars., and the bidding started from $ 30.4 million dollars.

“The sharp increase in rates over the estimated cost of an exceptional blue diamond in $ 38 million. sparked fierce bidding among private collectors. In the last minute there were only 3. The room burst into applause when the hammer struck for the last time and announced the final amount of the lot,” according to Christie’s.

Recall that the name of the diamond was in honor of Philip Oppenheimer. His family for 80 years owned shares in the De Beers Corporation, involved in extraction, processing and sale of natural diamonds.